


The Visit

by silly_mortal



Category: The Time of Your Life - Saroyan
Genre: Emotional Baggage, F/M, Family, Friendship, In-Laws, Love, Marriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:20:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27604103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silly_mortal/pseuds/silly_mortal
Summary: Kitty meets Tom's mother for the first time.
Relationships: Kitty/Tom
Kudos: 4





	The Visit

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place shortly after Kitty and Tom meet in The Time of Your Life. It's set in January, 1940.
> 
> My Kitty, Tom and Joe are based on the ones from The Acting Company's 1976 play version, played by Patti LuPone, Norman Snow and Nicholas Durovy.

Kitty slid her arms under Tom’s coat, as she wrapped them around his waist. She was trying to get as close to him as possible, as if she wanted to meld her body with his, into one. She felt that, if it were possible, she would open his chest and climb inside it, because, at this moment, she needed to feel as close to him as possible. 

Tom’s long arms were around her, holding her closely, and he occasionally kissed the top of her head, where it was resting on his chest.

“I’m going to miss you,” she said.

“I know, honey. I’m gonna miss you, too. Very much.”

“Not enough to make you stay, though.”

“Oh honey, come on…” he sighed, for the hundredth time that day and quite possibly the thousandth that week. “You know I would stay with you, if I could. In a second, I would. Please don’t be sore at me.”

“I’m not,” she whimpered, trying to hold back her tears. “I just don’t understand why I can’t go this time.”

“I already told’ya that the boss is making me train the new guy. He’s gotta ride in the truck with me, so I can show him all the steps.”

“But why can’t _I_ go, as well?”

“The boss don’t seem to mind when it’s just me in the truck, but he doesn’t think my wife should tag along with another man there. It’s a two man job and there’s no room in the truck this time.”

“Is that what you think I do? Just tag along?” she lifted her head to look at him, mournfully, a fresh batch of tears threatening to fall.

Tom took her face into his hands and looked at her, tenderly, while keeping his other arm around her. He hated seeing her cry more than anything in the world. He had promised himself that he would never cause her any kind of pain and here he was, the cause of her tears. 

“Of _course_ not. I’m using his words, not mine. I love when you’re there with me and I’m gonna hate every second that we’re not together. I’d rather be with you every minute of every day, but I can’t for this. It’s my job.” 

“But _two_ weeks? How am I supposed to live without you for two _whole_ weeks?”

“We need the money, honey.” 

Kitty nodded, knowing what he said was true.

“I could get a job, Tom. I don’t mean doing… _that_ ,” she added, quickly. “I could get a job doing something else. You could at least stay in the city then… if I helped.”

A dark look crossed Tom’s face as he remembered what she _used_ to have to do for money. He ran his fingers through the dark auburn curls that fell above her shoulders and brushed his lips against hers.

“No, Kitty. As long as I have breath in my body, you will _never_ have to work a day in your life. I promised to always take care of you and that’s what I’m gonna do... When we start having babies, you can take care of them.” 

“What about you?”

“I’ll still be takin’ care of you,” he smiled, placing a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose.

Kitty reached up and captured his lips with her own, as she threaded her fingers through his black hair. Tom vigorously returned her kiss. 

They had only been married for three months now and were so deeply in love that they often had a hard time keeping their hands, as well as everything else, off one another.

“I hope you’re not planning on making any of those babies in the back of my car,” Joe said, from the driver’s seat.

Tom and Kitty pulled apart and looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror.

“We wouldn’t do that, Joe,” Tom stated, his eyes wide with surprise. “Not with you right there and everything. Honest.”

“He’s teasing, love,” Kitty murmured, resting her head back on his chest.

“Oh.”

Kitty smiled up at Tom, as he placed a kiss on her forehead. 

Tom wasn’t exactly what people sometimes referred to as _slow_ , but he didn’t always understand teasing and some things just seemed to go over his head… but he was the kindest man Kitty had ever met and he had the purest heart. He loved her truly and deeply and she never had to doubt one thing he said to her. Above all, she knew he would never hurt her, not willingly. To her, he was a perfect person.

“Thanks for drivin’ us out here, Joe, and offerin’ to stay the night and drive me back again tomorrow,” Tom said. 

“I’m happy to do it. There’s no point in driving all the way back to town tonight, only to come back to get you again in the morning. I want you to be able to spend as much time as possible together before you have to leave, although I didn’t expect to be an actual chauffeur,” he teased, again.

“Sorry for leaving you alone up there, Joe,” Kitty smiled, “but no one will be able to pry me out of my husband’s arms, until he has to leave tomorrow morning.” 

“And no one is going to try, Kitty.” 

Joe smiled as he watched her cuddle up to Tom in the rear-view mirror. It was hard to believe that he and Tom had met Kitty just three short months before. 

Kitty had been a young prostitute who happened into their favorite hang-out, Nick’s Bar, one day. She was a sweet but broken girl, with whom Tom had immediately become smitten. If he were being honest, he’d have to admit that nearly every single patron in the bar had fallen in love with her that day.

And while Joe did not feel toward Kitty in the romantic way that Tom did, but more as a brother felt for a sister, he knew that the feeling he had for her was love. Like Tom, Joe had become immediately attached to Kitty and felt the need to protect her. He had made an immediate vow to himself to help her get out of the life she was living and did as best as he could.

Despite both Joe’s and Tom’s desire to keep her out of harm’s way, there was an incident at the bar the day after meeting Kitty in which she was attacked by a rogue police detective. Both Tom and Joe had been out of the bar at the time, something neither of them had yet come to forgive themselves for. Kitty had been severely traumatized by the event, and still refused to talk about it. She suffered from the psychological damage it had caused, as well as the innumerable other traumatic events which had occurred over the course of her life but, surprisingly, one wouldn’t even suspect it these days.

Every time Kitty looked at Tom, she beamed. Over the past few months, she had been so deliriously happy that it was hard to recognize her as the same young woman they had first met. The only time Joe ever caught a glimpse of that former Kitty was whenever Tom was away from her. If Tom left the room, for even a moment, Kitty’s demeanor would change. She would begin shifting, nervously, and begin chewing on her nails, until the second he returned to her side. 

Joe had often wondered how they managed it when Tom had to leave to use the facilities, but was too polite to actually ask. 

Both Joe and Tom were worried about how Kitty would handle these next two weeks, with Tom having to be out of town. Since the day she and Tom were married, they had not been apart, even once. Whenever Tom made deliveries in his work truck, whether locally or out of town, Kitty rode with him. She was happy to sit beside him all day, no matter how cold it was in the truck during these winter months or how long the drive was. Tom would bundle her up in a blanket, with a cup of hot coffee, and off they would go. They didn’t even need to speak during the drive, because Kitty was content to just be in Tom’s presence. 

There had been quite a debate about what to do with Kitty during these next couple of weeks. Staying alone was not an option. Kitty herself knew that she wouldn’t be able to manage being by herself for that length of time. The three of them had discussed her staying with Joe, since he was the only other person in the world that she trusted, but Joe didn’t feel that was appropriate. While he was the couple’s closest friend, and would rather die than cause her an ounce of harm, he just didn’t feel that Kitty would be comfortable, given her history with men. Joe only lived in a small apartment with one bedroom and no other place to sleep, while Tom and Kitty lived in a just tiny rented bedroom.

It was Joe who had suggested that Kitty spend the time Tom was away with Tom’s mother. Betsy Sheridan had a small house, on the outskirts of the city, and she lived alone. Joe had met Betsy before, with Tom, and found her to be both a kind and pleasant woman. He had the feeling that she would like Kitty. After all, Kitty, with her sweet and gentle nature, was impossible to dislike.

Betsy, who had only just returned from a long visit with her sister in Oregon, eagerly awaited the chance to meet her only son’s new bride and welcomed the opportunity to get to know her.

“Are you nervous, Kitty?” 

Kitty's fearful eyes met Joe’s in the mirror.

“Yes.”

“Don’t be. Betsy is a very nice woman and she will like you very much.” 

“Yeah, Kitty. Mama has always wanted a daughter,”Tom said. “She’s going to be so happy to have you now.”

“She’ll know what I am,” Kitty lowered her eyes.

“Yes, she will,” Joe agreed. “She’ll know that you’re a good and kindhearted person, because _that_ is what you are.” 

Kitty sighed and Tom tightened his arms around her.

“You’re _perfect_ ,” he whispered in her ear. “Don’t you ever think anything else besides that.” 

The young woman let out a shaky breath, but didn’t respond, as Joe turned the car down a long street of a residential neighborhood. 

-


End file.
